Disk brakes which act upon a disk secured to an elevator machine shaft to hold the elevator car in place at landings are known in the prior art. The disk brakes in the prior art adapted for elevator use are full plate disk brakes wherein the brake shoes are operable to engage the periphery of the disk to hold the car in place. Full plate disk brakes may be prone to dirt and moisture problems, and are not amenable to solenoid stroke variations due to their mode of operation. They are also noisy due to the difficulty in controlling motion in the relatively short stroke of the flat faced armature.